The Public school reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Public school

The term public school has two contrary meanings:

• In common British usage, a prestigious historic school open to the public that charges fees and is financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as a private charitable trust; here the word "public" is used much as in "public telephone". See public school (UK). However, most non-government funded schools in the UK are not called public schools, they are called private schools or independent schools.

• In the United States and most other English-speaking nations, a school which does not charge tuition fees but is financed and controlled by the government, in contrast to a private school (also known as an independent school); here the word "public" is used much as in "public library", i.e. to mean "provided to the public at public expense." See public education.

See also: School, Education, Finishing school, School uniform

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